Lorain officials, community discuss House Bill 70

Lorain resident Rhoda Lee addresses Lorain school board President Tony Dimacchia during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting, March 5, 2018. The general consensus from Lee and others who spoke during the public’s opportunity to address the board was unification among board members, Lorain City Schools CEO David Hardy Jr. and the staff he has put into place and for all to work together towards achieving what is in the best interests of students.
Eric Bonzar — The Morning Journal

Former congressman Dennis Kucinich addresses the Lorain City School Board during their regular scheduled meeting, March 5, 2018. Kucinich said the reason for his visit to the district was to assist the board and provide legal solutions to their public information requests made regarding district spending, that have gone unfulfilled.
Eric Bonzar — The Morning Journal

Much discussion and concern sparked between citizens and city officials March 5 at Lorain City Schools Board of Education meeting for the district’s well-being under House Bill 70.

Citizens and city officials of Lorain were invited to the regular board meeting at Lorain High School, 2600 Ashland Ave., to express their thoughts of the bill and how it has affected urban school communities under academic distress.

What has been talk of improvements in the school district under the house bill and CEO David Hardy Jr. for some time in the city of Lorain, has been a major concern many are beginning to fight for.

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The questioning of Hardy’s plan to improve the school district under House Bill 70 has been a discussion between the community, according to president of the School Board Tony Dimacchia.

According to members of the board, House Bill 70 allows final decisions in a school district to be made by its CEO and no one else in the district.

School Board Vice President Mark Ballard said HB 70 is one that will create charter schools in an urban school system.

To create and see change as a district and not under one person, Dimacchia said he other board members and citizens of the community want to rid get of House Bill 70.

To bring solutions to a situation that wants to be changed by many, former U.S. Congress members Dennis Kucinich and Betty Sutton were invited to the board meeting.

The two expressed their thoughts on the bill and how to create change within the community.

They spoke on behalf of the bill and the board’s concern of Hardy and if improvements in his Lorain Promise initiative were coming about.

The initiative is under his power through the law of the house bill.

Kucinich encouraged the board to take legal action and challenge the provisions of House Bill 70 during the meeting.

From the Ohio Revised Code, he said a written or printed complaint to remove an elected official, if requested, must be produced and it will then have to be submitted as a form of a petition.

He said a petition must be signed by no less than 15 percent of the number of voters who cast ballots in the last governor’s race.

“Since 11,609 votes were cast in the in the City of Lorain in the 2014 General Election, at least 1,741 voters must sign the petition,” he said.

It would then have to be filed with the Lorain County Court of Common Please and the court has 30 days to hear the complaint, he added.

Sutton shared that she has been fighting House Bill 70 since the 1990s and it is one that is deeply flawed.

“House Bill 70 is a top-down approach and is one for several reasons,” she said. “One, it allows the state to step in and run distressful systems by appointing the CEO and giving the CEO the power to overide collective bargaining agreements. This approach silences local voices and local control.”

She encouraged that leadership matters the most and to create change through House Bill 70, it begins with the community.

Sutton added that in her running to become Lt. governor of the state, she wishes that the bill should not exist and strives to do her part in that initiative.

With other communities going through the same situation, such as Youngstown and East Cleveland City School districts, city officials and citizens were invited to the discussion.

Youngstown School Board President Brenda Kimble attended the meeting and shared the academic distress of the school district.

Under the power of its CEO, she said they have seen no improvement for years, but believes that citizens have to be aware and get behind board members because they cannot make change by themselves.

In reaction to comments made by officials, the public began expressing their opinions.

Some discussion went through a range of blame on board members on the district’s distress to taking a civil approach and simply voting against the issue when it comes to the general election.

Considering all public comments, Dimacchia said they will do what they can as a community to create awareness, educate citizens and create change on the issue of House Bill 70 and riding of it.

“We have to discuss our steps as a board through a public forum and what they are in creating a solution,” he said. “We got some good ideas from the community.”

He said with Kimble’s perspective on the issue, it helps them understand and get an idea of what can come about the issue if it becomes worse.

He questioned the purpose of the bill and stressed that people should really understand what it’s doing to their district and the students who are being affected.

People are welcome to attend a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. March 8 at Longfellow Middle School, 305 Louisiana Ave. in Lorain to address any concerns with the discussion or House Bill 70.